Nature documentaries tend to focus on the majestic, the ferocious, or the heartwarming. “Planet Weird,” however, takes a different approach, celebrating the strange and symbiotic relationships in the animal kingdom. In “Sidekicks,” airing Sunday on Sky Nature, we get a front-row seat to some of nature’s most peculiar partnerships.
This episode examines the surprisingly co-dependent existence of clownfish and anemones. While the anemone’s stinging tentacles provide shelter for the clownfish, the clownfish, in turn, offers cleaning services and may even lure in prey. It’s a delicate balance of give-and-take, or perhaps, sting-and-stay.
We also witness the oxpecker’s diligent grooming of savannah residents. These feathered friends provide an essential cleaning service, removing ticks, parasites, and other unwanted guests from their larger companions. It’s a win-win, unless you’re a tick.
And then there’s the rather unique arrangement between dung beetles and pitcher plants. Let’s just say it involves a quid-pro-poo exchange, proving that one creature’s waste can be another’s gourmet meal.
With witty narration from UK comic Ross Noble, “Planet Weird” manages to make even the most bizarre natural phenomena accessible, blending pop culture references, graphics, and human comparisons.
Planet Weird: Sidekicks airs Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 8:00 PM, on Sky Nature.
